Some of the most advanced environmental testing goes into the technology that powers your favorite everyday devices—batteries. Contained in their tiny electromagnetic cells resides hope for a more sustainable and regenerative future, especially in the form of electric vehicles (EVs), consumer electronics, and solar panels.
Batteries are employed in many industries, powering important innovations. Most of these technologies would not be possible without the right battery testing solutions. These solutions must match the power and sophistication embedded in the battery technology.
Effective battery testing solutions account for various battery cell shapes and types, and constraints such as floor space and abbreviated timelines. Associated Environmental Systems (AES) has several battery testing options intended to meet these demands, but which one is right for you?
Here’s what you need to know about AES's patented ATPPRIME, patent- pending ATPHEAVY, and ATPFLEX.
ATPPRIME: A Complete Battery Testing System
If you’re looking to expand general battery testing in your lab, then AES’s patented system, ATPPRIME, is the solution for you.
Configured for battery testing, chambers equipped with Associated Environmental System’s patented ATPPRIME battery fixtures can accommodate nearly all cell formats, including coin, cylindrical, prismatic, pouch, and pack batteries. With universal Kelvin connectors, ATPPRIME enables quick removal, insertion, and switching between cell types and is available in cylindrical, clip, and power-pole styles.
ATPPRIME contains up to 192 cells situated across four shelves designed to maximize airflow and maintain consistent temperature conditions. Its versatility also facilitates testing multiple cell types within the same fixture.
With an integrated Battery Interface Board (BIB), ATPPRIME provides accurate, strong charge and discharge data signals that are transmitted from each cell to the battery cycler. The IGUS track helps cables stay organized as the shelf moves in and out, while clearly labeled channels and wiring make for lean battery testing that is nearly error-proof.
Dividing into four shelves that extend at least two inches outside of the inner workstation, the board gives you ample room and easy access to whatever devices or materials you’re testing. These easy-access sliding shelves greatly diminish potential exposure to dangerous chemicals or high heat.
The standard maximum current tops out near 20 amps, continuous at ambient. If you require higher amperage, consider ATPHEAVY (see below).
Since everything you need is present, already built into your chamber for battery testing, ATPPRIME becomes a major time-saver, avoiding costly set-up time.
ATPHEAVY: High-Amperage Battery Testing
As the demand for faster-charging and lighter-weight batteries accelerates within the EV industry, environmental test chambers need technological innovation to keep up.
Capable of testing up to 1000-amp batteries, ATPHEAVY was built precisely for this purpose.
Engineers have focused on extending the driving range for lithium-ion batteries by improving their power-to-weight ratio. EV batteries currently offer about 370 miles per charge, which doesn’t account for climate or road conditions.
The primary difference between ATPPRIME and ATPHEAVY is the amperage rate capabilities. ATPHEAVY is also uniquely designed to accommodate large prismatic and pouch cell batteries—and it fits conveniently into your workspace.
ATPHEAVY is compatible with benchtop temperature test chambers, including the SC 512, the most powerful benchtop chambers in the world.
ATPHEAVY ADAPTABLE
Building on to the ATPHEAVY series, ATPHEAVY ADAPTABLE expands the variety of high-density battery types and formats your chamber can accommodate. Debuted in September 2022, this patent-pending battery fixture is catalyzing the effort among battery engineers to enable EV drivers to travel longer distances on a single change.
So-called “range anxiety” may soon be a concern of the past, thanks to these versatile high-amperage battery fixtures empowering research and development.
The optimization of the test surface enables the holders to be adjusted for varying battery sizes and cell types, bringing them closer or farther apart. As a result, a single chamber with a flexible fixture can accommodate all of your high-amperage testing requirements.
When you couple ATPHEAVY ADAPTABLE with the SC-512-SAFE, an environmental test chamber designed specifically for high-amperage testing with added safety features, your lab becomes a well-equipped pioneer. In fact, this paired solution aligns with the recent transition from cylindrical cells to large pouch and prismatic cell designs for electric vehicles.
Innovation is an uncompromising boss, and ATPHEAVY ADAPTABLE furnishes your lab with the tools you need to become an industry leader while also keeping in mind the future of battery testing.
ATPFLEX: Battery Testing Fixtures for Your Chambers
A battery testing fixture that can be installed into most temperature-only or temperature and humidity chambers, ATPFLEX is incredibly convenient when you already have your test chamber purchased. If you are happy with your existing chamber’s abilities but want to conduct battery testing, then ATPFLEX is right for you. In fact, ATPFLEX is compatible with most chambers, regardless of the manufacturer.
Capable of testing multiple battery configurations within two to six channels, it features a custom-engineered epoxy laminate for non-conductive surfaces and even airflow. Additionally, ATPFLEX’s gold contacts ensure strong charge and discharge and never corrodes, while securing connections from your cells to your current battery cycler.
Notably, while there are ATPFLEX fixtures that meet the needs of just about any battery cell type, there isn’t a single ATPFLEX fixture that universally works for all formats.
Be sure to work with a battery specialist to better understand your needs and select a cell configuration that works for you. Fixture surfaces are available in a variety of sizes to accommodate your battery cell shape.
With more than 60 years of experience as an innovator and standard setter in the test chamber industry, Associated Environmental Systems gets that sometimes what’s needed is an entirely new, bespoke, testing environment. And sometimes it’s all about just tweaking what’s already in place. Contact us today to learn more about battery testing.
